Andy Carroll's 82nd-minute equaliser earned the Magpies a point after Barry Robson and Scott McDonald had fired Boro into the lead following Peter Lovenkrands' 16th-minute opener.
Boro dominated possession and territory for large periods, but Newcastle remained dangerous on the counter-attack and displayed the clinical instincts that have served them so well this season.
With Nottingham Forest losing at Preston, the result extends Newcastle's advantage over the play-off places to nine points.
Boro dominated the early stages, and the home fans were baying for a penalty when Fabricio Coloccini appeared to bundle McDonald over in the box in the second minute.
But while Newcastle struggled to gain a foothold in the opening quarter-of-an-hour, the visitors scored with their first meaningful attack moments later.
Jonas Gutierrez played a wonderful through ball between Boro's two centre-halves, and Lovenkrands swivelled in the area before firing a low finish past Danny Coyne.
Robson came close to grabbing an equaliser shortly before the half-hour mark, only for his 20-yard free-kick to be turned around the post by Steve Harper.
But when the former Celtic midfielder shot again in the 36th minute, his third goal in the space of three games drew Boro level. Robson played a smart one-two with McDonald before curling a precise low finish into the bottom left-hand corner.
Lovenkrands went close to restoring Newcastle's advantage with a lobbed shot in first-half stoppage time that crept narrowly over the crossbar, but with game flowing from one end to the other, Harper was forced into a fine save to thwart Julio Arca on the hour mark.
Boro dominated possession throughout the second half, but Coyne was also called into action in the 67th minute to keep out Tamas Kadar's close-range header from Danny Guthrie's corner.
However, the home side's pressure finally told as McDonald opened his Middlesbrough account with 16 minutes left.
Chris Killen headed Robson's free-kick back across the face of goal, and McDonald swivelled to hook home a close-range finish from no more than three yards out.
Newcastle have made a habit of scoring late goals this season though, and the visitors responded with eight minutes left.
Ryan Taylor drilled over a cross from the right, and after Stephen McManus failed to connect with a diving header, Carroll controlled the ball in the box and fired low to Coyne's right.
MIDDLESBROUGH (4-4-2): Coyne; Naughton, Wheater, McManus, Taylor; Robson, R Williams, O'Neil, Arca; Killen (Miller 87), McDonald.
Subs (not used): Jones (gk), Hoyte, Riggott, Bennett, Franks, Lita.
NEWCASTLE (4-4-2): Harper; Simpson, Coloccini (R Taylor 50), Hall, Kadar; Pancrate (Best 78), Nolan, Guthrie, Gutierrez; Lovenkrands (Butt 70), Carroll.
Subs (not used): Krul (gk), Enrique, Routledge, Ranger.
Source: Northern Echo
Source: Northern Echo